How to Stay Safe in the Age of the Lone Wolf Terrorist, Part Three
October 26 | 2015
Michael Janich, John Riddle, Kelly McCann, Mike Gillette and Tom Gresham — each an expert in one or more aspects of self-defense — answer questions about guns, knives and terrorism.
Question 7: Do you recommend that people who are concerned about defending themselves in situations like the ones we're discussing consider lawfully carrying a firearm — assuming they have an interest and have had the proper training?Mike Gillette: They should consider it, but there are many layers to this issue, everything from what the prevailing laws are that govern the use of force when protecting yourself to how to store the weapon safely in your home. The responsibilities of owning and carrying a firearm are considerable. And once you’ve sorted out the logistical aspects of carrying a firearm, you still have to be able to competently handle that firearm. And that takes the right training — to develop the physical skills and decision-making ability. Although it may sound counterintuitive, self-defense, whether armed or unarmed, is very much a thinking person’s game.
Tom Gresham: Whether to carry a gun is an intensely personal decision, and it’s one that should not be made lightly. Without specific training in the defensive use of a firearm, no matter what your experience is with shooting or hunting, it’s likely that everything you “know” is wrong. If you decide to carry a gun, you should make a commitment of time and money to get annual training — at least one day of training, and better if it is three days. You should commit to firing at least 50 rounds a month in practice. You must know the law. You must commit to avoiding areas and situations which could require you to use your firearm. Responsible people understand that it is a major change in lifestyle to carry a firearm.
Photo Courtesy of Mike Gillette
Tom Gresham: Whether to carry a gun is an intensely personal decision, and it’s one that should not be made lightly. Without specific training in the defensive use of a firearm, no matter what your experience is with shooting or hunting, it’s likely that everything you “know” is wrong. If you decide to carry a gun, you should make a commitment of time and money to get annual training — at least one day of training, and better if it is three days. You should commit to firing at least 50 rounds a month in practice. You must know the law. You must commit to avoiding areas and situations which could require you to use your firearm. Responsible people understand that it is a major change in lifestyle to carry a firearm.
Photo Courtesy of Tom Gresham
Photo Courtesy of John Riddle
Michael Janich Photo by Rick Hustead
Black Belt Hall of Famer Kelly McCann on Weapons
Kelly McCann was one of the five self-defense experts consulted for this article, but he didn’t get a chance to weigh in on these weapons questions. For that reason, we’re including his answers to these questions.Question 9: Should the law have any bearing on what a person trains to do and actually does during a self-defense encounter?Kelly McCann: The generalized answer is, you’ve got to apply the “reasonable man” test. If you’ve lived your life lawfully and have no history of altercations, and you were avoidant on the day of the incident — if you can say, “These were the steps I took to avoid this; there was nothing else I could do” — you’ll probably be OK.Kelly McCann Photo by Robert Reiff
But if the police find out that you had an illegal weapon in your possession prior to the assault when there was no risk, you’re in trouble. In other words, if you’ve been carrying around an illegal weapon, stop doing that. If you decide to use pre-emption, it must be based on pre-incident indicators you noticed and reasonably resulted in your decision to use force to protect yourself because you perceived an imminent physical threat. You’ve got to be able to articulate those precise pre-incident indicators and predatory behaviors to a responding police officer or in court. Question 10: What kind of weapons should martial artists carry for self-defense, and what should they have at home?Kelly McCann: The legal ones. Make sure you meet all your state’s legal requirements before getting or carrying a weapon. OC gas (pepper spray) is great to carry because it’s a distance weapon. You can use it early in an altercation, before you even make contact with the assailant, and not a lot of technique is required. When it’s legal, an expandable baton is also great because it gives you distance. It’s basically a stick, and everybody can use a stick with some degree of success.Introducing Martial Arts School Listings on Black Belt Mag!
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